Material Insights · Understanding the Material World

Copper and Underground, submarine and superconducting cables

Underground, submarine and superconducting cables needs copper; their prices have moved together.

Copper (commodity) and Underground, submarine and superconducting cables (energy): 2 relationships.

How they are linked

1. Material need

Physical flow · Direct · Copper → Underground, submarine and superconducting cables

Building or running Underground, submarine and superconducting cables needs copper.

2. Price link: product made

Cost and price · Strong · Both ways

Power and communication cables are the largest use of copper, and cable makers pass metal prices straight through to buyers. The US wire index follows copper, with monthly moves correlating at 0.50 and yearly at 0.71, lagging by about a month as contracts reset.

  • 0.50 monthly change correlation
  • 0.71 12-month change correlation
  • 0.83 fitted elasticity

Built from the site data on production routes, energy flows, industry value chains, input-output tables and prices.